The Exhaustion Method
by BiblioCentric
Summary: "I don't think people realize how beautiful sleep can be...I think I have under-eye bags the size of kiwis." - It's best not to be constantly exhausted when you have school, friends, and potential enemies among you, but Chloe seems to be just that: sleep deprived and dead tired. AU but not AH
1. Derek

**A/N It's been awhile since I last read DP, but I'll tell you this: It was the first YA novel that seriously impressed me. Chloe started off independent in her series, and ended independent in the series. None of this stalker crud you read about these days. Anyway, I wrote this as an AU story, still maintaining the main characters original powers.**

**So R&R**

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The Exhaustion Method

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Surprisingly enough, History (which is usually the detriment of my life) is actually a class I'm enjoying today. This is entirely because our teacher, Mrs. Flamer, got a mild case of food poisoning and is probably upchucking two-dollar sushi right about now. It just goes to show how underpaid the teachers are at this school. (Though to be honest, Mrs. Flamer is a sleaze, and more than likely stole whatever made her sick.) Anyway, I'm currently sitting in room 205 with my insanely neurotic best friend, Kari, who's worried over failing algebra – a class which she's acing by the way. Her reason—

"I quit the debate team and now the teacher hates me Chloe. Yes, I know, the age old excu—Don't look at me like that Chloe! The only reason why I've been keeping my grade so high is because I work my arse off every day!" Looking like a soggy towel, Kari slumps in her chair. I try not to toss her out of it, because I know she's just that type of person(you know, those people who cry over spilled milk). The real mystery is: why the heck is she not panicking over _this _class. We're both currently failing.

"Oh puh-lease," She says. "We're only failing because Mrs. Flamer doesn't give us enough assignments. She gives us power points after powerpoints, but never actually teaches us the information. This is exactly why conspiracies are born!"

I raise an eyebrow. "Conspiracies. How so?"

"Did you know that there are actual people in the world who think that the Boston Tea Party consisted of real honest to goodness Indians, and that these same Indians invaded Britain."

"Well didn't they?" I grin.

After she's done playfully slapping me, Kari whips around and eyes the time. She's been doing this for every class we've been in today. It could just be her wanting to get out of class, but it could also have to do with a certain ability of hers. I poke her arm. "You okay there. Do you need an adult?"

She rolls her eyes, and just shakes her head. "No, it's nothing. It's only…you know, _A_ feeling."

I lower my voice and allow my hair to cover the sides of my face as I lean across my desk. "Is something bad going to happen?"

She waves me off. "No. This is a really good feeling I'm getting. Like something really good is coming our way. I'll tell you later at home."

Karson (Kari) and I live together now. The two of us met when we were five, became friends almost instantly, and then went to elementary school together. But after my mother passed away, and her father reached rock bottom, not being able to keep a day sober, we sort of just drifted apart. Entering junior high, my Aunt Lauren, who had no connection to Kari whatsoever, decided to fight for custody over her. I know. It was a huge deal. For awhile I was so confused and aggravated with my aunt. Things were stale and lonely in my own home. I don't want to say I felt neglected at the time, but it sure as hell didn't feel like I was in a family, considering my father wasn't around much.

It didn't matter though. It turns out Aunt Lauren was waiting for the right time to ask my father to let me live with her. The moment I hit the age of thirteen, I gained my ability. Necromancy, or the capability to interact with the dead. A lot of things happened after that, things my dad couldn't handle, and so Aunt Lauren became my guardian. She knew exactly what was going on with me and had planned to take care of me all along. I was incredibly happy, and the moment I entered her home I realized why she was fighting for Kari's custody as well.

Kari exhibited abnormal behavior whenever she came to the nurse's office. (At the time, Aunt Lauren was the head nurse at our middle school) She would complain about headaches and fall into different states of unconsciousness at random times of the school day. Her rare ability was taking a toll on her and my aunt knew it. Anyway, Aunt Lauren gathered enough evidence to charge Kari's father with child neglect. The adoption processes took forever, but in the end Aunt Lauren gained custody of Kari too.

Then there was this whole dilemma of the insane group Aunt Lauren used to work for, who wanted to test on us and imprison us. Thinking the test were the best thing for us, Aunt Lauren had been entirely blind for awhile. Kari and I changed that. We forced her to realize that she was working for a slaughter organization and that any moment now Karson and I would be dead. Fearful and ashamed, she helped us escape. After that, we all ran.

We've been safe in Albany ever since.

"Clover! Take a look at this script. They expect me to read this line and not laugh my butt off. Mr. Vallejo is crazy." Kari thumps a manuscript on my desk.

"I thought you said my new nickname was going to be Ringo, what happened?" I read the line. _Henry, please, you can't hurt him, he's my friend! I promise I won't eat his delicious fruits again! _I giggle. Kari shoves the script back into her pack.

"Meh. I changed my mi—" She stops abruptly.

I have to lower my voice again. "You okay… for real this time."

"I don't know Chloe. The situation just feels off."

"Like bad cream cheese off, or titanic off?"

Kari smiles. "No, it's neither. More like the situation feels right. Hey, by the way, remember to stop by English before seventh period."

"Why?" I inquire.

"Don't question my superior psychic abilities, just do." Kari made the shape of an eye on her forehead. I scoff.

* * *

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.

I don't like my backpack. Actually, I hate my backpack.

I'm walking the empty hallways of Greysbin High School, because my pack decided to disintegrate while I departed my sixth hour class. I'm sweaty and I'm tired and I just finished climbing Mount Stairwell to get to the second floor. Currently, I'm dragging my stuff along with my foot, while simultaneously holding two humongous textbooks.

It's about this time that I remember Kari's little end-of-class- comment. Oye vay… Before living two years with Kari, I would have disregarded her advice and dragged my butt all the way to seventh hour, but now (seven serious injuries and two years later) I've learned that ignoring Kari's little psychic hints tend to have horrendous consequences.

So I drag my butt all the way to my English class.

And when I get there…

"Chloe honey, are you okay! You're pale!" Ms. Martinez began fanning me with her lesson plans. I try to speak but quite frankly I don't have the physical power to do so.

"Oh Lord, wait here" She goes inside her seemingly empty class. I can hear her speaking. "Could you come here for second? I know you're new but one of my students needs a bit of help." A grunted reply later.

"Chloe, this is Derek. I think you might need some help getting all that stuff to your locker, Hon"

I look up.

I look back down.

_Jesus. _Comparing him to me, this guy is a mountain. I always said I liked guys taller than me, but this is ludicrous. He isn't attractive, mind you. The guy has red angry zits on his face, a few scattered on his arm, and a scowl permanently etched above his chin. He still gets points though, for being tall and dark and slightly mysterious. Great, the exhaustion is making me crazy. I lower my head and take in deep breaths. With my hands on my knees, I whisper to myself. "_Someone drank his milk."_

"What was that sweetie?" The teach says.

Exhausted and tired, I reply."Nothing Ms. Martinez. I appreciate the help. Hi Derek" A wheeze "I'm Chloe." I really wish I'd been born with muscles the size of bazookas. This is ridiculous.

He grunts what sounds like a "_hi"_ back, I suppose.

Then in a swift action that can only be described as a colossal-moment-of-serious-realization-of-my-embar rassing-nonexistent-physical power, or whatever, Derek takes all my stuff and mounts it on top of his stuff. I gape, and then slap my forehead.

Life was just so unfair.

"Where's your locker at?" He rumbles. Maybe it was the blood messing with my ears, but that was one seriously deep voice. Kari would have giggled.

"The other side of the main hall." I sigh.

He nods and starts walking.

When we get to my locker I throw it open and shove everything inside. Needless to say, Derek probably isn't impressed with my organization methods, and when I'm done mentally ranting at my stuff, I turn around and extend my hand. "Thanks Derek..um"

"What?"

"Your last name _por favor_?"

"Oh…Souza." He still doesn't extend his hand, so I take it, shake it couple a times and let it go. He stares at his palm.

"I'm Chloe Saunders, nice to meet you."

He nods. I try not to frown. He seems to notice the quirk on my lips because he (reluctantly might I say) says it back.

"Nice to meet you too, Chloe"

I think physical and mental exhaustion is clearly affecting me, because a small part of my brain is telling me, gnawing at me really, to pester this guy until he befriends me.

I grin. It might just be the physical trauma I put myself through today, but I think that's exactly what I'm going to do.

* * *

**A/N Hope you enjoyed. I decided to put Kari in here because she might be necessary for a plot I'm working on.**


	2. Everybody's A Nudist

**A/N Hello there :D. I wasn't planning on continuing this, hence the reason it was labeled complete, but since I finished my wattpad story I decided I was going to make this a plot instead of a drabble. So here goes. Btw I don't know much about Kari. If anyone remembers how she looks like PM me.**

**Hope you enjoy.-BC**

**Declaimer. I do not own the Darkest Powers characters or the later on Darkness Rising characters. Those belong to Miss Kelley Armstrong.**

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Chapter 2

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After being late for seventh period, the last period of the day, and getting outside only to find out the bus has abandoned both Karson and I (stupid locker wouldn't open after I slammed it so hard, making us late) our only alternative was to walk our way back home.

I think I might cry.

"This is all your fault y'know." I say.

"I've heard." Kari replies to my whining once again. I can't help it though. My muscles hurt from wrestling two sumo-books and a mountain of papers, and now I have to do it for the rest of the travel home. Karson's backpack can only relieve me of my homework, and she can only carry one of my books.

"By the way, your predictions today were entirely off. Nothing good happened to me. In fact, I think I sprained my wrist trying to pull things upstairs." I show her my slightly red wrist.

"I never said anything epic was going to happen to you. I simply suggested you go past your English class." Despite her being right, she scowls. "But not even the tiniest bit of good happened to you?" She asks.

"Not even a penny." I usually find something remarkable: a hundred dollar bill, my lost history homework, my freshman-year crush breaking up with his girlfriend, etc.

"Well what _did _happen?"

I arrange my books, holding them closer to my chest. Geez it's going to suck getting home. A brief memory of Derek Souza enters my mind. He'd come in handy right about now. "Ms. Martinez found me and had a guy help me out. Derek Souza, if I remember right."

"Ooooh, a boy!" She suddenly smiles at me. A beautiful, full-lipped smile. Her green eyes lighting up her tanned skin. I know what that look means. I quickly shut it down.

"Not interested, and besides I don't think he liked me much. After helping me get to my locker I offered to show him around, but he declined rather harshly." So harshly in-fact you'd think I'd killed his pet goat. His answer was almost enough to make my resolution to friend him null and void. Almost. I'm way too stubborn.

"Wow. OOC for you. Well I can't be your lucky charm all the time I guess. What happened after that?"

"We went our separate ways. Like nothing. He seemed mean and dangerous by the way, and so naturally I'm planning to befriend him."

Kari shakes her head."What did he really look like?" It's clear that I've peaked her curiosity.

"He wasn't handsome. Really tall, baggy clothing, tanned like you, black hair, not sure if he was chubby, but _clearly_ muscled. Actually he looks like he's way past his high school years, although his acne can tell you a totally different story." I blow hair out of my face and take a deep breath.

"He doesn't sound like a bad guy." She says pensively.

"Sound or feel?" It was wise to ask when it came to Kari.

"Feel."

"Good." Deep breath. "Cus I'm going to be his partner for English." Sharp exhale.

"Uh..say wa?" She looks perplexed.

"He has English with me" I say. After he left, I went to go thank Ms. Martinez for the help. She informed me that Derek was going to be in our class, and that, if I could do her a favor, I would be his partner for the discussion on The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I retell all of this to Karson and she whistles.

"You gonna try and play nice." She winks.

"Gross, but yes I am. I don't like it when people show me an act of kindness and then put up a wall of Anti-Friendship."

"You know he only helped you because he was asked to." Kari points out.

"Whatever. Here, carry my useless backpack, I'm cramping." I shimmy my hips so my papers stop slipping. While I pick up a stray set of notes, I notice the old Zesty Soda (A brand that couldn't compete against the major refreshments) factory a block away from our school puffing smoke. I ask Kari if Zesty Soda is back on the market. She shakes her head and observes the factory as well. "Weird" She says. "It's probably for something new."

"Let's go home, then. I'm so tired. I need a massage."

"Well I sure as heck ain't giving you one."

.

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* * *

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*Gasp* Almost an hour later.

At home we notice the garage is empty. Well Kari notices it. I'm currently wheezing to hard…

"Mom!" I hear her call. She opens the door and dumps her stuff inside. Oh yeah. Kari now refers to Aunt Lauren as Mom. She looks nothing like her, and when people ask why she doesn't have Fellows as her legal last name we just tell them what we always tell them. We're a complicated family.

_"Help" _I squeak.

"Hang on." Karson comes back and drags my stuff inside. She returns for me, dragging me inside as well. "Mom's not home. She left in a hurry. Doctor stuff."

"Wow, you can tell by just looking at the open garage door."

"Yep, that and she left us a note."

I look at the note she brandishes in front of my face.

_Sorry, had to leave in a hurry, doctor stuff- Love L_

"Well then." I say. "I'm going to take a nap."

She doesn't reply for several seconds.

"Hang on. We have neighbors."

"Say wa?" Karson and I have never had neighbors. Everyone thinks the house next door is haunted. (It is, by this really friendly ghost girl named Liz.)

"Take a look for yourself." She opens the curtains wide enough for the both of us to look through. "Wow, how did I miss that?" There were empty boxes and furniture lined up on the next door lawn.

"The moving van is all camouflaged against that tree see." I point. "Who do you think they are?"

"Four people. That's all I'm getting right now. You?"

While Kari has the gift of otherworldly perception(being a rare Benandanti and all), I have the gift of otherworldly communication. Sometimes Liz pops in to warn us about nosy townspeople, or fake tax collectors, or Karson's unwanted ex-boyfriends. Communicating with ghosts has its perks. I close my eyes and try to get in tune with Liz. A moment later and I get nothing. I shake my head.

"Darn." Kari huffs. "Let's see if we can catch a glimpse of them."

We're so intent on spotting our new neighbors that we completely miss that fact that our front door is open. The next thing we know—

"Ahem."

Both of us jump. I gasp.

"My son and I came to say hello."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Hello there!" Kari finally breaks the dreadfully awkward silence (Much to my relief) and the two people in front of us smile. It's a tall Asian man with slight graying hair that I'm pretty sure is about my father's age and his son, a boy with spiky blonde hair and almond eyes not unlike his father's. The son gives both of us a half grin.

Most definitely cute.

"H-hi" I stutter and then blush, but not because of him, but because my stutter broke through. I'm not very good with meetings.

Kari travels behind me and pushes me forward. "Nice to meet you. I'm Kari and this is my sister-slash-cousin-slash-best friend Chloe Saunders."

Giving us an amused look, the older of the two extends his hand. "I'm Christopher Bae, your new neighbor." He points to the open blinds. Both of us smile innocently, as if we haven't been stalking them at all. "This is my son. Simon Bae."

"Nice to meet you." The three of us say in unison. Simon Bae puts his hands up and laughs. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be so in sync. Can I ask you guys something."

"Sure" We say in unison again. I feel like turning into a turnip.

"How can you be cousins and sisters?" Simon smiles sheepishly. Then something crosses his face, and his eyes grow huge. "Oh."

Kari seems to know exactly what he's thinking because she immediately explains."Whoa, no, no. We're sisters because that's how it feels like sometimes. We're actually cousins, but not by blood. We can assure you that no incest was committed in this family." She blinks.

"…"

"…"

Cough.

"I just made things awkward, didn't I?" Simon rubs the back of his neck.

"Not as much as it usually is." Surprisingly, I find my voice. Then together, Karson and I say. "We're a complicated family."

"I know the feeling. _Trust me._" He responds. Mr. Bae gives him a sharp look and Simon visibly winces.

"Is your guardian home?" Mr. Bae asks, and we shake our heads.

"She's at the hospital right now. She's a doctor." I declare.

Mr. Bae nods. "Well, anytime you want to visit, just come on by."

"Totally, we could, like, have sleepovers." Simon quips. Mr. Bae playfully swats the back of his head and we laugh. They appear to be good people. Hopefully they won't go snooping in our backyard. Let's just say I've been having some incidents with my old pet hamsters. Necromancy also has its major downfalls.

"We'd love to visit. And the same goes for you guys as well. I'm sure my Mom would love to have guests." Kari's million-dollar hostess smile pops out once again. That thing could win an Oscar. I can tell she's trying to impress them because Aunt Lauren would have done the same. Our reputation with the community isn't exactly a normal one on account of all the noises that come from our backyard, and the dead animals that appear on our doorstep sometimes (I actually didn't mean to make the dead dog from across the street follow me. I was simply trying to practice controlling my powers.). We're just your typical Adams family.

"Then we'll see you around." Christopher Bae said.

"Yep." Simon adds on. "Nice meeting you Kari. Nice meeting you too Chloe." He gives me a half smile and I blink.

The door shuts close.

"He flirted with you." Kari teased.

"No, he didn't" I blush stupidly.

"Oh sure, and Hogwarts exists."

"Stop breaking the fourth wall man. You know I'm still expecting my letter."

"You are so not eleven anymore."

"Your face is so not eleven." I reply.

"Mature Chloe, very mature."

.

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* * *

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During the night Aunt Lauren comes home flushed and tired. "He made it."

"Who made it?" I say groggily. I was previously napping on the couch and recovering my strength. Kari is still asleep. Her homework laying upon her chest.

"The Herrington's new baby boy. He was born a bit small, but nothing some milk won't fix."

At this Kari wakes up. "Aww, baby. Did they take pictures?"

"They videotaped the entire birth." She comments.

I raise my eyebrows high. "At least their son wont question where he came from."

Aunt Lauren chuckles and then proceeds to take of her shoes, remove her doctor scrubs, and unpin her curly blonde-reddish her.

"Did you know that we have new neighbors?" I yawns this out.

"Oh, what?! No I didn't. Did you greet them?"

Kari sits up and stretches. "More like they greeted us."

Suddenly, Aunt Lauren gets all flustered. "Crap. I hope it's not too late to bring them some pie, or maybe some cookies, or a casserole." She heads toward the kitchen. Kari and I follow close behind then sit on some stools next to the marble counter top.

Its moments like this when I realize how far Aunt Lauren has come. I suppose I should add a little more insight on our lives. Like I mentioned before; my Aunt Lauren worked for a group that frequently tested on Kari and me. This organization was called the Edison Group, and its glorified purpose was to help kids like Kari and I lead normal lives. What a load of bull. This group messed with our genes. When things went wrong, this same group terminated the very people they promised to help—

And Aunt Lauren did the terminating.

It's something we try to forget. Her, more than either of us. Every day she makes up for her wretched mistake, giving us the freedom we were denied inside the Edison group. Kari says that her protective nature is still there, but that she's broken. It's the reason I don't hate Aunt Lauren, but boy did I hate her. I resented her until I realized something crucial.

She loves me, and although this doesn't make what she did right, it definitely gives her the inexhaustible proof of her humanity. She isn't a monster as most people would want to believe.

Kari once told me to place myself in her shoes. If I had one last family member, and that said love one was a teenager with abilities that could drive her mad, or kill her, what would I have done? Aunt Lauren is clawing herself from the inside and she doesn't need me to do it on the outside. "… A lot of us like to think that if we were in someone else's shoes we'd have done things differently. But that's hardly the case."

She's right.

"It's way past eleven. They're probably sleeping." I say, and then yawn, still exhausted.

"You're probably right, but we'll invite them to dinner tomorrow." She slumps on the counter, tired from her work. "You guys want a snack?"

"Nope."

"Nah, I'm tired. I'm going to bed." I jump off my stool and yawn my way upstairs. Half way up I remember something.

"OH YEAH! AUNT LAUREN I NEED A NEW BACK PACK."

Within my room, I open the window next to my desk, letting a draft of air inside. My window actually faces the room Liz haunts. In fact, opening this same window is how I met Liz in the first place. She was all clad in her pajamas, smiling, and waving, but the next thing I knew she was floating and phasing into my room. I fainted, but let's not get into that.

As I open the window. I catch a sight of someone moving throughout the room. I'm about to sit on my ledge to talk to Liz when—

"Aaaaah!" I cover my eyes with one hand and reach for my curtains with the other, closing them frantically.

In the other room, Liz's room to be exact, stands a naked Derek Souza.

_Thump._

"Nope, he's definitely not chubby." I say, blushing bright crimson on the floor.


	3. New Neighbors

**A/N Glad you guys like it. I'm prone to random comedy, but I'll see if I can start to gradually make this a plot, which will entitle a change of summary-again. :D**

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Chapter 3

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I didn't sleep.

I just couldn't

My face resembled the inside of a grapefruit after the encounter. All the while I kept pacing inside my room going: "_Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, OH MY GOD."_

But that was before I went to bed. When I did, I gathered the courage to open my curtains and close the window, which turned out to be a huge mistake because Derek was still there. He was obviously waiting for me to acknowledge him, his face expressing disinterest and maybe a bit of annoyance. Well it wasn't my fault now _was it_?

Okay, it sort of was, but in my defense I was expecting Liz and not Derek the Nudist.

Anyway, Derek didn't stay in front of his window for long. He rolled his eyes and shut his curtains, and I was left looking like the peeping tom in this situation.

It was about then that Liz popped up. Her blonde head appearing before the rest of her did.

"Hey, some meeting huh…" She giggled, clothed in her Minnie Mouse nightgown and giraffe socks.

Elizabeth Delaney (Liz) was a girl much like me when she was alive, except she had different abilities and powers that were incredibly hard to control. Liz is an early victim of the Edison Group, back when Kari and I hadn't even heard of the name. Our current neighborhood had been a center for all beings Supernatural, but when more regular citizens began eyeing the place, the experimental group packed up and left. Aunt Lauren warned me that wherever we went, the Edison Group had probably been.

"Liz! You—why didn't you tell me we had new neighbors!" Scowling, I crashed into bed.

"I was busy." She shrugged and then sat on my bed. She's taller than me, maybe a tad shorter than Kari, but she doesn't cast a shadow. The dead only casts shadows with sufficient energy. Lesson 1 in _Spotting the Dead_.

"Doing what?!" I lifted my head an inch away from my pillow to ask.

"Stuff."

I grabbed my covers and threw them at Liz. They didn't touch her, but she still winced as though they had. "Did you even know they were there?" I puff again as I bury myself underneath the other comforters.

"Yes…" She smiled guiltily. "They arrived with boxes two days ago."

"Then why didn't you tell me!" I whispered furiously, my blush beginning to materialize once again.

Liz stopped talking for a second, almost pondering what to say next.

"Chloe…"

"What?" I said from underneath my Avengers comforter.

"You have new neighbors." She giggled… and then disappeared.

"Bah!"

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* * *

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I don't think people realize how beautiful sleep can be. The rich sensation of precious unconsciousness. I think I have under-eye bags the size of kiwis. After Liz left, like I mentioned before, I couldn't sleep. I had this really bad ache in my side and every time I successfully ignored it, an image of Derek Souza's disapproving face flashed across my mind, causing me to shrivel up and trigger the pain at my side again.

Now I'm running on emergency energy.

The next morning when Kari pops into the kitchen, where I'm eating my second candy bar and drinking a mug of disgustingly dark coffee, she puts a hand over her mouth and points at my face.

"Geez, you're paler than a ghost."

"Hardy, har, har. I couldn't sleep."

She nods and opens the front door, planning to get to the bus stop before the bus leaves us. Immediately though, she closes it and I give her a questioning glance. "Guess who's outside?" She says. For a second I think she means Derek, and I'm about to nose dive under the marble counter. (So much for my resolution to befriend him) But after Kari opens the door a tad wider I realize she means Simon.

"Oh."

"Oh, just oh?" She scoffs.

"I mean _oh."_ Slightly more enthusiastically.

"Pfft. Insomnia makes you crazy. He's waiting for you." At this point I'm already peering outside. He does seem to be waiting, but not for me. "One: he met me a day ago, and two: he's waiting for the bus you _ding dong."_

"Learn how to cuss Chloe. And besides, that's awesome. That means we can be buss mates." She does a little jig with her hips which makes me think the word _mates _has a very wrong connotation in her sentence. I ignore her and head out, gathering my stuff and sipping my coffee even though absolutely I hate it. Our school bus stop happens to be right across from our house, which is cool because it means we don't have to travel so far. It also sucks because kids are constantly being dropped off a little away from our home. The same kids who find disassembled dead hamster body-parts. Again, I don't _try_ to make these things happen.

I meet Simon at the bus stop and he waves. Timidly, I wave back and Kari comes bouncing behind me. She becomes unusually quite after that. Simon doesn't though.

"So. I see I'm not the only one without a car at sixteen." He grins.

"Nope, but I'm fifteen… I'm surprised you thought I was older." I scratch my head._ Must be the kiwi bags under my eyes._ "Usually, by looking at me, people assume I'm twelve."

"Yeah. People assume I'm Chinese when they see me. Before you jump to the same conclusion. I'm half Korean." He admits. Kari, behind me, fist pumps the air. Just before Aunt Lauren came home the other night, she betted everything she had that Simon wasn't Chinese.

"What school are you attending?" I only ask because our bus holds both the Greysbin and the Bellview student body.

"Place called Greysbin with my brother—there he is now."

A prickly feeling settles upon my skin the moment a vast shadow is cast over us. I don't have to be a mind-reader to know exactly who's behind me. My face turns solid red. I turn and partially wave at the tall and quiet teenage man-boy in front of me. Derek Souza doesn't wave back, which initially reminds me about yesterday. How can anybody be so overwhelmingly reserved, and how can anyone stay as emotionless as he can. Simon perceives the awkwardness of the situation so he introduced us.

"So Kari, Chloe, this is my brother, Derek." I can't meet his eyes.

"Your brother?" Kari eyes Simon skeptically.

"Yeah, we're twins." This, surprisingly, comes from Derek's unmistakable vocal cords.

"He's messing with ya. Derek's my foster bro, but still my bro. Kind of how Kari is your sister, but actually your cousin and in reality your best friend."

"I can't believe you remembered all of that." Karson eyes him fondly.

Derek remains quiet until he spots my new backpack. (It was sitting on the table this morning.) "We've met before." He says.

"Cool!" Simon slings an arm around his much taller brother. You'd think Derek would find this uncomfortable, but he seems at ease with Simon, his rigid stance visibly softening. I wonder if he's ever gotten this comfortable with anyone else, but by the look on his face I think maybe not.

I'm about to ask both of them who they have for Homeroom when I notice Kari's face, which is scrunched up and pale.

I seize her hand, but she shakes me off, not wanting to alert the boys. It doesn't really matter because Simon and Derek have stopped talking to each other in order to stare at something else: the bus arriving. Karson, however, looks at me and gives me a faint smile as if to say: _I'll be fine. _Neither of us has time to communicate anything else because soon the bus arrives and we're off.

Inside Kari takes a deep breath, and she's suddenly herself again. It's strange…very strange, but it's always best not to wonder about it any further. We sit together, across from Derek and Simon, both of whom are talking in fast whispers. I ignore them, because as soon as the bus starts moving again, I realize something tragic.

My emergency energy is running low. I need another cup of coffee, sugar, SOMETHING that will keep me working through the day. I can already feel my muscles and eyelids softening, my back and arms tingling, my head dropping, and my face relaxing in a very bad way. And it's only the morning.

"_Do you guys have any candy?" _I hear more than I listen to myself say. I can tell Kari, Simon, and Derek are all staring at me incredulously. _"Sorry." _ I yawn. "_I couldn't sleep last night."_

"I know." Derek utters, and I bolt upright. Oh yeah…the naked thing. I flush bright pink.

" Erm…about that. I wasn't like—" I stop. He isn't listening, just staring at the Zesty Soda factory behind me as it passes by.

It's probably the haziness of my mind, but as I look at him I realize he's got these outrageously glowy green and speckled gold eyes. He's right next to me since Kari and Simon took window seats, so I reach out and tap his shoulder.

Then I realize I have nothing to say.

"What." He asks.

"Erm…so you have English with me." _There we go… small talk._ My brain might not be fully functional at the moment, but it's enough to get me through a simple conversation.

"I do?" It appears he wasn't informed of that.

"Yeah um, you're actually going to be my discussion partner for the book we're currently reading. You know which book right?" I'm about to take it out and showcase it.

"Yeah I know. I've read it before."

"O-oh. C-cool. Me too. I personally think it was a great symbol for—"

"Oh here we go." Says Kari to my left. Simon, who was listening to me make conversation with his brother, was now looking at Karson. "Sorry, Chloe just has a tendency to over-analyze everything. If it isn't a magazine then it's a textbook, if it isn't a textbook it's a novel. And don't even get me started on movies."

"I don't over analyze everything." I glare. "And you know I only do movies when they mean something."

"Beauty and the Beast?" She asks.

"That doesn't count I was thirteen."

"_Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_?" She laughs. I blush when I hear Simon chuckle.

"You have admit that my theory of a schizophrenic teenage boy forced to escape the abuses of his aunt and uncle by creating an imaginary world of magic makes sense."

Derek grunts, but if my sleepy eyes don't deceive me, he's smiling.

"Okay fine. _High School Musical."_

"I claim temporary insanity." I say finally, and stare at the floor. Simon continues to laugh but stops when the bus arrives at Greysbin. He grimaces and then speaks.. "Hey, do you guys want to meet us during lunch, we could meet outside. We still need lunch buddies." He smiles, and Kari nods.

I don't think Derek likes that idea much because he visibly fidgets. I _definitely_ like this idea though. My resolution is entirely back on.

And then

_Yawn…_

"'Ool, Wel meh ya after fourth period." I half say, half yawn. "If I'm still awake."

Kari snickers as my head droops when the bus breaks. "I bet you five bucks you won't make it through third period.

"I don't know. If you snatch a quick coffee you might." Simon encourages.

.

* * *

.

.

As it turned out, I did make it past third period. Fourth period was a breeze, and when Karson and I sat in the cafeteria I was feeling like I'd had _twelve_ hours of sleep instead of none.

"Shouldn't we be looking for Derek and Simon?" I ask Kari while she swallows some macaroni.

She then spits the macaroni back out.

"Something's-_ugh_-off."

I stare at her, completely caught off guard. Her usually cheery face has soured. "Wait what. Like bad off?"

"Definitely bad off. Same feeling I got when the bus arrived."

"Should we not get on the bus?" The spaghetti on my fork flops down.

"No, it's not that"

Slight panic and dread crosses my face when I suggest the next two people. "Simon and Derek, are you getting bad feelings about them?"

"I— I don't know." She shakes her head. She seems to dislike that suggestion as much as I do. "Let's forget I said anything OK."

We spend almost three whole minutes in complete silence when, out of nowhere, we're distracted

"_Hey!" _Someone yells from the table on our right. It's a female with short jet black hair, eerily familiar eyes, and a permanent sneer; it appears she's been trying to get our attention. "My brother's looking for you." She's sitting by herself, a laptop directly in front of her. "I'm Tori Bae, as in Simon Bae's sister. You should probably meet up with him before he goes looking for some other chicks to hang with."

"Uh—okay." I say and get up, but Kari stays put, transfixed on Tori's hands.

I gently pull her, and she snaps out of it. Giving her a look that says _what was that about_, I make my way to the front of the school.

Outside I immediately spot Simon. He's waving at us and standing next to a group of girls. Wait-no-not any ordinary group of girls.

The cheerleading squad.

Kari sighs. _"_If it isn't the welcoming committee." She starts walking a bit slower, almost stopping. "Should we leave now and let him be devoured?"

"Where's Derek?" I interrupt, and then, out of nowhere, I yawn. A full blown, tilt your head back and perfect circled yawn. I try to shake it off because Simon is already making his way towards us. The girls behind him have frowns etched onto their faces.

"Hey guys! I saw you inside. I thought maybe you'd abandoned me." He teases playfully.

"It looked like you were in good hands." Kari points with her chin at Greysbin's very own cheerleading squad. Every new Greysbin student has to be thoroughly inspected by them, and it seems Simon has been approved.

"That, oh, well, that always happens when you have real blonde hair," He puts on a rather high falsetto. _"And the cutest Chinese baby face._"

Karson snickers and then asks Simon, "Oh I forgot to ask you. My mom, Chloe's Aunt Lauren, wants to invite you guys over to dinner around seven if you aren't busy. You happen to be the first neighbors we've had since...like…along time." She rolls her eyes, obviously thinking about all the times where we were close to having next door tenants.

"Oh sweet, I'll ask my Dad. Chloe, how you holding up?"

I was actually in mid yawn when he asked this, so I couldn't answer until it passed. "I was fine until I went outside. I think the cold classrooms keep me awake." Another yawn. "Why didn't you tell us you had a sister?"

"I see you met Tori then. Sorry if she said anything mean. She's a banshee on the outside but a seemingly harmless snake on the inside. It's all good." At the mention of Tori, Kari frowns. I can tell she wants to ask him something, but can't phrase whatever it is the right way.

"What classes do you have for fifth period?" I wonder aloud. Simon pulls out a thin sheet of paper and ticks each class off.

"Art with Mr. Bourquin."

"Same here, dude." Kari high-fives him.

"Lucky! I have English."

Oh…I forgot about English. Derek…Me…Us…Partners. A faint blush creeps up my neck and cheeks. And then I yawn.

Oh please no. The last thing I need is for me to go comatose during English.

Actually no, the very last thing I need is to be partners with Derek. I mean what if I instantly think about his naked body while we're discussing adolescent love in John Green's book.

Oh the horror.

_Yawn._

UGH!

* * *

**A/N _Next time on The Exhaustion Method-_ English, Dinners and Unwanted Guests... Oh my.**


	4. Zombie Poultry

A/N You know the drill. Stop, drop and r-

I mean R&R :S

* * *

.

Chapter 4

.

As soon as the bell rings for fifth period, I leave Simon and Kari behind and head straight to English.

The chairs inside the classroom have been moved into pairs of two, and the pairs have been placed into a circle. Today was, after all, discussion day. _Sigh_

I never speak in discussion day.

It's not like I don't have my own opinions on certain topics we touch, I just don't have the courage to voice them. I'm afraid that my stutter, the speech impediment I was born with, will rear its ugly head. Also, I know my opinions will go against everyone else's. I'm pretty sure I was among the minority who believed that _The Scarlett Letter _went beyond human sins and treacherous husbands, but of course I didn't voice that.

As I search for my name among the desks, I notice a small cup of coffee sitting atop of the nearest one. I immediately inch my way towards it and find my name on a slip of paper taped onto the desk. I look around.

Then I look back at the cup of coffee.

And then back around.

"It's yours."

"Holy!—Derek!" I take a step back, considering his proximity. He rolls his eyes and then sits on the chair directly beside mine.

"I-I-I didn't" I take a breath. Two times this week. I haven't stuttered this much in ages. "Thank you."

"Thank my brother. He got it for you."He doesn't look at me while I pull the chair away from my desk and sit in it. Our situation must still be butter-thick awkward then. So in order not to focus on Derek I reach under my desk, take out my notes and set them in front of me.

I then notice Derek doesn't have any notes.

"You aren't planning to speak either are you?" I ask, sipping the deliciously caffeinated coffee.

"Are we getting graded if we don't?" He replies, rather boorishly.

"Nope, that's also why I don't speak up." I lie, careful not to irritate him any further.

"Then why do you carry those notes with you?" He counters. I look at my well-thought-out notes and can't decide how to explain them. _Why _do_ I have these notes?_

I shake my head. "Just in case."

He nods, and then goes back to staring fixedly at the wall. Ms. Martinez comes bouncing in a moment after, carrying her lesson plans and a coffee cup of her own. The rest of her class has also managed to make an appearance. Everyone looks vibrant and talkative. I try not to be reminded of my current sleep-deprived state by taking a gulp of super-charged espresso.

"Hello class. As you can see we do have a new student, so please be courteous! I'm sure Mister Derek Souza would appreciate it." She sets her notes and journals upon her desk then comes to sit inside the circumference of the circle. We all watch her as she takes out a her pen, directs it to her attendance list, and then puts dots next to the names of the people who are absent. After a long period of silence, she clasps her hands together and gestures to our books. "Today we're going to be discussing Isaac from The Fault in Our Stars."

This is cool. At least it has nothing to do with Hazel's and Augustus's relationship. Love isn't my best subject.

"Who thinks Isaac was rather…goofy?" She continues. The majority of the class raises his or her hand. I keep sipping at my coffee, attempting to stay awake and avoiding contact with Derek's eyes. He's just sitting there, and I'm not sure if he's listening or not. The teacher continues. "Who thinks he's just aggravated with his situation?"

I did, but I didn't raise my hand.

And that's pretty much how the rest of the class goes. The teacher asks a question, has some students voice their opinion then asks another question. My notes lay undisturbed, and just like that almost thirty-five minutes pass. I don't mind though. I hate being forced to speak, although the other students don't seem to have a problem with talking.

"Okay, from now 'til the end of class, I want you to turn to your partner and compare notes. _No phones." _Ms. Martinez gives one of our students a rather pointed glance. She then exits the circle and goes to her desk.

The class starts chattering again. I flash a quick glance at Derek. He isn't one to keep up a conversation, and I begin to wonder if befriending him is really what I want to do. Suddenly, I feel a yawn creep up my neck, and I try desperately to stifle it. It's my sixth one in this class period. Coffee is just barely keeping me awake.

"Are you always this tired?" There's distinct irritation in Derek's voice. He's evidently aggravated with my yawning, and my loud coffee sipping doesn't help much.

"I—no. Yesterday my backpack disintegrated and I couldn't sleep last—"

"Why did open your window?" He interrupts me. I gape at him. "You were expecting someone else, but from what I've heard, no one has inhabited our house in half a decade. Why did you open your window?"

I can't very well tell him that I was going to talk to the dead girl who inhabits his room, so I go on the defensive. "Not to spy on you that's for sure!"

"So were you just going to jump out the window?" He's interrogating me like Kyra Sedgwick from _The Closer_.

"No…" I involuntarily shrink back into my desk. "It was hot in my room. I didn't know you were _nude_."

He stares at me after that, as if he wants to drag out all my secrets by simply fixating his deep green eyes on me. I squirm and scratch the tip of my nose. And before I can even register his hand moving, my notebook, which had been lying untouched on my desk, is being thoroughly inspected by him.

"_Excuse me_." I whisper yell. "_Give it back."_

He grunts and flips page after page. I'm instantly transported back to when he asked about my notes earlier; if he wanted to see them he could've just asked. After a while of page turning he sets my notebook down and clicks his tongue. "You take good notes." He slides my journal to me. "You also doodle ghosts a lot."

I don't know how to respond to that, but I don't have to because the shrill ring of the school bell announces our dismissal and I get up, gathering all my notes and journal. Derek does the same thing but gathers only his back pack. He spares me one last blasé look and starts for the exit. I stop him though.

"Why weren't you at lunch?" I lick my lips and then casually take a sip from my coffee cup. He doesn't turn around, simply stopping.

"I had other things to do."

"Well…okay, I'll see you at dinner then." The moment I say this he turns around and eyes me, trying to figure out what my deal is. "Aunt Lauren invited you guys to dinner…you're coming right?"

"I don't kn—"

"Great, I'll see you then." I chirp and then rush out of the classroom, heading for History.

...

...

"So Simon drew a sketch of you in under thirty minutes. Like a full portrait?" Karson and I are walking out of sixth hour, heading straight to our lockers. Mrs. Flamer was present today, unfortunately, but she didn't have the care to give us homework, so she let us out early. What a piece of work.

"Yeah. Mr. Bourquin told him to show him what he got, and nearing the end of class, there I was on a sheet of paper, but that's not what he turned in." Kari handed Simon's sketch to me. It was beautifully detailed, done completely in color pencils. He got every aspect of Kari correct, from her long black hair to her light-green eyes, full lips, naturally tanned skin, and long neck. "He even drew my barely visible freckles." She said, touching her cheeks.

"Wow. If he didn't turn this in what _did_ he turn in?" I handed the picture back.

"A sketch of you." She said matter-a-factly.

"What? why?"

"That's what I asked him. He straight up told me that you are _by_ far, the shiest girl he's ever met, therefore the cutest."

We stopped in front of our lockers. I bit my bottom lip, flushing hard. "Liar."

"You're right. He thinks you're repugnant and could easily pass of as Chewbacca's wife." She deadpans. I crack a smile and bump her with my hip.

While she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, she asks me. "Want me to help you look good for dinner time?"

"_No_. It's just dinner. Besides, I don't know Simon at all. What if he isn't into girls who raise the dead?" I chuckle.

Kari tsk-tsks me. "You know guys can't resist girls with paranormal abilities. It's practically in their Guy Code to date one."

"Some code." I laugh.

"Tell me about it."

* * *

.

"Could you pass me the carrots Chloe?" My Aunt Lauren is currently full-on Rachael Ray mode. She's been up and down the kitchen since she called up Mr. Bae and confirmed the dinner. Simon can't have certain foods apparently, we weren't told why, but now Kari and I have to help de-sugarfy the cookies, skin the potatoes, and eradicate egg yolks to give our guests the perfect healthy meal.

"Can't I please just have a doughnut for myself? Please! I promise I won't whip it out in the middle of dinner and _brag_ about it!" Kari begs for the umpteenth time. Aunt Lauren is insisting that we eat whatever was on the table, nothing more and nothing less. Most of the stuff that we're serving looks super good to me, but Kari is a sugar junkie and will probably die half-way through the butter-less rolls.

"No and no means no. That's entirely insensitive of you Kari." Aunt Lauren slides the carrots off her cutting board and into the pan with the oven-cooked fish.

"Fine." She pouts and then goes back to setting the table. I watch as she sneaks a hand to the candy basket we have by the doorway.

"Karson Rosemary Jackson! You get that hand away from that basket."

"MEH!" She spouts and then walks over to the table. I snicker.

_Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz._

"Oh god. That must be them. Get the door for me will you Chloe." Lauren orders while trying to untie her apron.

"Kay." Passing the stairs and entering the living room, I walk to the entrance and then open the door. There, before me, stands Mr. Bae, Simon, Tori, and Derek. "Hi. Um…come in." Awkwardly and silently, I lead them inside.

"Yeah uh…hey. You have a dead _something_ on your front porch." Tori's voice suddenly pierces the silence and I stop dead.

"Hamster." Derek adds.

"Oh. Sorry. Must be the neighborhood guys pranking us again." I give a humorless laugh. (I wonder if it was Kari's hamster or mine and if it was mine, which one?) Everyone merely observes me and I smooth down my dress gracelessly. "Dinner's almost ready."

"Great." Mr. Bae grins. Simon flashes me an equally enthusiastic smile, making me fidget. I enter the dining space and gesture for Kari to come over. She's good with the hostess stuff not me.

"Hey. Mr. Bae how's it hangin'?" Karson brought a plate into the room and placed it on the table.

"Just fine, thank you. How is your mother?"

"I am perfectly fine. Thank you for asking, Mr. Bae." My Aunt comes forth and extends her hand. "It's nice to meet all of you in person."

"Please, Miss Fellows, call me Kit. The same goes for you too." He gestures at both Kari and me.

"As long as you call me Lauren." My Aunt grins.

While the adults talk, the teens enter the living room and the deal gets awkward again. Tori is observing her nails, Derek is scratching furiously at his arms, Simon is waiting for us to say something, and I'm just trying to stay awake.

Oh yes, you didn't think I had suddenly recuperated all my energy. Oh no, I'm still dead tired.

"How do you like our town so far?" My voice comes out small but everyone, except Tori, heeds it attention.

"S'fine." Derek mutters.

"It's cool actually. We've gotten tons of visitors. You guys are definitely fans of food." He grabs his stomach in mock ache. "I'm surprised we accepted to come."

Tori abruptly enters the conversation with. "Is it true?"

Kari and I just blink at her then Kari asks. "Is what true?"

"I heard from the neighbors that you guys practice voodoo witchcraft with blood sacrifices and everything." She mentions this in an offhand way, as if it didn't matter if we did.

"That's so not tr—" I try to deny but Kari hold up her hand.

"The jig is up Chloe. Obviously they know of our hamster sacrifices and magical abilities to conjure up the dead. See, we're witches. It's in our nature." Deadpanning seems to be a skill of Kari's.

Tori smirks and then purses lips, thinking of what to say next. "Why does the community hate you so much?"

"Tori, come on! Ignore her guys. She can't tell when the neighbors are full of crock." Simon waves her off, but I can tell she won't let up. Neither will Kari.

"They're afraid of us. We don't like to play nice and join in their community activities, so they brand us as new-age witches. Your house is also supposedly haunted. A girl died right in the very room facing Chloe's, or so they say." She crosses her arms, and I gape. She told them about Liz.

"Wow… will we need an exorcist?" Simon jokes.

"No!" Everyone's attention has snapped to me. I gulp. "I mean. Sorry, still kind of tired. Could you please just ignore the neighbors? My Aunt Lauren just wants some decent interaction with the community. I promise we aren't cannibals."

"No problems Clover, we know you're not like that." At Simon's use of my nickname I blush, Tori scoffs, and Kari goes back to staring intently at all of them.

A very long and uncomfortable silence ensues.

After seconds without talking, we hear a clatter in the kitchen. "Kids? Dinner's ready." Kit gestures for us to enter the dining area. I hang back, letting Simon, Tori, and Kari go ahead of me.

Derek hesitates. I give him a small smile and wave. "Hi."

"Hey."

He's doing that _staring_ thing again. I beam. "Go ahead."

He says nothing and does nothing.

"Okay. _I'll_ go ahead." I take a step forward, entering the dining room. I hear Derek shuffle behind me, clearly following me. This guy is such a hard nut to crack, and will it kill him to just smile. (Or God forbid _laugh)_. Oh yes. I'm going to pester you Derek Souza. I'm going to pester you at school until you at the very _least_ crack a smile.

...

...

"…I take family cases now, but sometimes I do PR." Kit is currently explaining his job as a lawyer. The entire dinner is going smoothly, and I can tell Aunt Lauren is in high spirits. Although Tori, Derek, and I aren't really participating in the conversation, the gathering is going pretty good.

"But enough about me." Mr. Bae wipes the corners of his mouth. "What do you do Lauren?"

"Oh. I'm a doctor."

"Ah. Dr. Fellows. What field?"

"Well I'm a certified pediatrician, but now I work generally in St. Peter's maternity ward." Aunt Lauren took a sip of her water. Her job has to do a lot with our past, and it's evidently making her uncomfortable. She took lives, and now she wants to give them back, so _that's _why she works in St. Peter's maternity ward.

"Where did you guys live before you came here?" I hear Kari ask. Not having to talk about her job anymore visibly relieves my aunt, but the new topic has made the Bae family uncomfortable. Derek in particular.

"We lived in…Buffalo. The pay was bad so we moved."

"I see." Aunt Lauren says because she doesn't know what else to say.

"Um…" I open my mouth. "Should I get dessert?"

"Yes! That's a wonderful idea!"

"I'll help you if there's a lot." Simon gets up and I nod.

When I enter the kitchen, I notice immediately that something is directly outside our window.

_Thump…Thump…Thump._

I yelp as a dead pigeon starts beating softly against the window, maggots are protruding and falling from its head. Cookies aside, I run to the window and close the curtains just in time to see Simon enter the kitchen.

"Are those the cookies, they look so good."

"Eh heh, yeah…could you take those to the table?"

"Sure thing."

"Could you also tell Kari to come in here for a sec?"

"Can do, you okay?" He flashes me a smile, and, given the current situation, I don't have to admire it.

"Mmm Hmm."

A couple of seconds after he leaves, Kari enters the kitchen. "What's up?"

"Dead pidgeon. Don't ask just help." She pushes past me and tears the curtains open.

"I don't see a dead pid—"

A giant shriek from the kitchen shocks us silent, and the thrashing and thumping we hear afterwards drives us to the living room. Once there, we find ultimate chaos. Kit, Simon and Derek have gotten out of their seats and are flailing around trying to catch the very bird I conjured up. _How the heck did I conjure it up!_ Aunt Lauren and Tori are covering their heads, as the bird flies right and left trying to find something.

Trying to find me.

"Eep!" I dive down as the bird's corpse heads straight for me. I'm about to use Karson's plate as a shield, but Derek's towering silhouette blocks the bird's path, and the next thing I hear:

_Crash!_

The window shatters the moment the bird, hit with our plate of cookies by Derek, goes shooting into the night. Derek is breathing hard, Kit is covered in maggots, and Tori-well, she's alive. After the adrenaline in all of us dies out, everyone grows quiet.

"We'll pay for the window…" Simon offers.

Aunt Lauren looks at me and points to my chest. I glance down. My necklace is glowing bright sapphire (The way it always does when I involuntarily summon the dead.). I quickly stuff the gem into my dress. "Y-you guys shouldn't. It's our fault for not closing the fireplace."

Kit Bae was observing the maggot covered floor. "Maggots…"

"Bird must have caught them while falling into the fireplace." Kari explains. She had closed the fireplace the moment the bird was gone.

"Do weird things like this always happen?" Tori grimaces in disgust.

_Yes._

"No. Of Course not" I hear Kari and my Aunt Lauren sputter.

Derek is looking at me. Again. It seems like he's always looking at me, waiting for me to explain something, and knowing that I can't. Simon's eyes are also fixed on me, but his stare isn't as intense and questioning as Derek's is. I shuffle from left to right, not looking at either at them.

"This evening was rather…_unexpected_." Lauren forces herself to smile, getting up from the floor where she'd previously been. "As I told you before Kit, our lives are hardly normal."

"I can tell. Don't stress yourself Lauren. Things like this don't shock us much. Right gang."

"Yeah."

"Whatever."

"Speak for yourself. My hair is a mess!"

"Tori."

"Sorry."

"I think we should get things cleaned up then." My aunt gestures for Kari to get the door. "Regardless of how the night ended, it was wonderful having you."

"Are you sure we should leave? We could fix the window." Kit is a true sweet heart, but I know that dead bird is coming back, and I don't exactly want them to be here when it does.

"No thank you Kit. You should leave before the community tarnishes your reputation as well." This time my Aunt Lauren actually does laugh. "We can handle this."

We're all at the doorway. I'm attempting more than ever to ignore the dead hamster on the porch. Kari tugs on my sleeve, gesturing for me to pay it no mind. Simon speaks up.

"For the record, I'm glad you guys invited us."

"As am I, Lauren. We'd love to come over again sometime, if you'd have us." Kit smiles, and I realize now where Simon gets all the charm from.

"O-oh, yes. Maybe we will." She beams. A full blown Aunt Lauren smile.

I have the strangest feeling about our new neighbors. I can tell Kari does as well. The simple fact that they ignored the neighbors' warning and accepted our dinner invitation is enough to inform us about their off-ness. Personally, I think it's a great off-ness.

"Goodbye Kit, kids." My aunt calls as she closes the door.

She then turns around.

"No one is going to bed until the dining room is spotless."

_Well crud._

* * *

**A/N I encourage you to Read and Review. Also, give me some virtual chocolate, for I am probably more sleep-deprived then Chloe is. *collapses on the floor***


	5. Zesty Soda

**A/N Read and Review pweez. (boldface chlerek in this btw) Sorry if it's rushed, but I've been planning out a different story.**

**Which BTW, I encourage you to check out. It's on my recently made wattpad account at BiblioCentric. REVIEW IT POR FAVOR. Or just vote it up, and if you don't have a wattpad account, make one! bahh. Send me a message if you want me to follow or just review your own story. Link on my profile.**

* * *

_._

Chapter 5

_._

_Chloe...Chloe wake up. Chloe we're here!_

Why does Kari sound so close? What's that noise in the background? People? What are people doing in my room?"

"Chloe!" Derek's voice bellows right next to my ear, and I startle. There was no mistaking that tone of his.

It seems that I have been either asleep or in a short coma, because the sight that greets me is a completely unusual one. The school is directly in front of me, and I see the students of Greysbin high walking up to the double door entrance. It appears that the bus has already dropped us off, and it looks as if I have managed to sleepwalk my way off of it.

"Ahem," it's Simon.

Oh it's Simon!

"Whoa! You're…um…carrying me." How had I not noticed that before?

Oh yeah. I was in a coma.

Okay, not in actuality, but I distinctly remember getting on the bus and feeling the feather like touch of sleep glide across my brain. The next thing I know, I'm here in Simon's arms, bridal style. Kari's brows are knit together with concern. Derek's look was more amused than anything else, but the same look soured almost immediately after I laid my eyes on it.

"May I get down now?" I ask, pointing to the floor. Simon consents and sets my feet upon the earth. He's carrying my backpack in one arm, so I gently take it back. "Thanks, Simon."

"No problem, did you guys have a party when we left? I haven't seen anyone this tired in my life. And this is coming from a guy who pulls all-nighters almost every night." The cheeky grin he gives me is enough to bring a faint pink tint to my face. I almost want to explain how we had to hunt down that stupid dead bird from the other night, expel its soul, and then clean up the mess it left behind. My night was spent doing everything other than sleeping.

"I didn't sleep again. I'm so glad it's a Friday and a half day today," my voice is husky with sleep. Well, as husky as my voice can get.

"Your aunt's a doctor. Why don't you just ask her for sleeping pills?" Derek asks, opening the double doors to the school and leading the way inside.

"I'm not having trouble sleeping. I just don't sleep." I say groggily.

"That made no sense," he points out, scowling at me. I shrug. I'm not functional enough to make sense.

"Hey look, a sign." Kari blurts out, and we all stare at the direction in which she's pointing us. It_ is_ a sign. It's advertising Zesty Soda.

_Under New Management._

_Zesty Soda Factory reopened. New Look. New Taste!_

_Annual Mandatory Physicals_

_Go to the nurse's office during 5__th__ period_

_Starting today and all next week._

_Get a free beverage courtesy of Zesty Soda._

"I saw a movie like this once," I yawn, "all the kids who went to the nurse's office never returned."

"But they were advertising cosmetic surgery, not Zesty Soda."Kari points out. "Besides, it will get us out of history." We all walk passed the sign, abandoning the rest of the crowd that has gathered around the poster. As soon as the warning bell rings, most of them leave anyway.

"See you guys later." Simon waves and heads off to his homeroom. Standard protocol during half days, we go to homeroom first and then to our 2nd, 5th periods and then we're out. It's quite refreshing actually.

"I guess I'll see you later too. My homeroom's all the way out in the science wing." Kari hikes up her backpack and waves goodbye, leaving both Derek and I alone. The rest of students in the hallway have also cleared out, making the situation more private between us. _What situation Chloe? You're just standing next to each other. _

I almost missed our awkward silences.

"So," I say and suddenly find the floor completely interesting. "Where's your homeroom?"

"I'm in room one o nine"

"You're in my homeroom!" I say enthusiastically. Up until now, no one I knew has been in my class. I guess it's only right since both our last names start with the letter S. While I think this, Derek gazes at me weirdly. I clear my throat, "I mean. Cool. I don't usually know anybody in my—"

He starts walking, leaving me with part of my sentence hanging from my mouth. "Okay…"I roll my eyes. I start walking right behind him, keeping in step with him until we get to our room.

"Welcome!" This is new. My regular homeroom teacher, Mr. Franco, is not the one greeting us at the moment. In his place is a middle aged woman with perfectly groomed blonde hair (dyed, definitely not her regular hair), slender figure, and nails as long as cat claws. I watch her observe Derek, and for a second I think she's checking him out. _Gross! Who is this woman?_

"Hello class. My name is Margaret. You may all call me Miss Marge. I'll be your new homeroom teacher." She gestures for me to take a seat. I plant my butt on a chair next to Derek, and then class falls silent.

"Where did Mr. Franco go?" a student sitting at the very back of the class asks. Ms. Marge walks to the front of the class and explains to all of us how Mr. Franco was fired for being a liability to the students and the faculty. We're all shocked. He had been caught stealing from the science lab for who knows what.

"I am so sorry. I will try to be a suitable replacement." The way she says this makes me automatically not trust her. I know. Strange isn't it? But everything about her was yelling, practically screeching, _fake_.

My staring doesn't go unnoticed. Ms. Marge's head whips around, and her eyes pierce right through my chest. I realize now, that my sapphire stone is out and exposed. It doesn't alarm me. I mean, it's not glowing or anything, but her ogling is making me uncomfortable.

She smiles at me, the kind of smile that makes you want to look away and hope she's smiling at someone else. She isn't. "If you haven't read the signs around the school, Zesty Soda is interested in financing your needs. Today everyone is having a mandatory physical courtesy of the Zesty Soda Company."

"They had some nasty soda. It tasted like hot Gatorade with tons of sugar," the same person at the back of the class comments and most of the class agrees or laughs. Whoever this person is, probably lived here five years ago, when the company was still up and running. Kari and I had arrived way later.

"Well, young sir, I can assure you that the company has a whole new look and flavor. I've had it myself. It's very delicious." Ms. Marge strikes as the obtrusive type, and that's as far as my opinion of her reaches. When the bell rings, signaling for us to head to our second period classes, I pay her no mind, although the same can't be said for her. She observes me, even after I've walked past her desk and followed Derek out the door. It's only when the door to Mr. Franco's classroom shuts close that I heave a sigh of relief. _What a weirdo._

"Do you know her?"

I jump.

Derek's eyebrows knit together. He doesn't seem to understand the concept of forewarning people of his presence. I should put a bell on him. "No, but I guess you noticed how she looked at me?" I asked.

"Yeah," he shrugs.

"She was also checking you out." I blurt without thinking.

"What?"

"Not like that! Actually…I'm not sure. She was looking at you a lot." I try and explain.

He scoffs, "don't worry, I get that a lot." I'm about to ask him what he means by that, but while I'm looking at him, it occurs to me that Derek doesn't socialize at all. He doesn't speak to anyone. It's been three days, and I haven't seen him hanging out with anyone other than Simon. I know that people find him intimidating. _I_ found him intimidating after three second of knowing him. _I don't anymore,_ I think, as the warning bell rings, announcing we only have five minutes to get to class. I don't want to really leave Derek, especially with what I've just thought about.

"Hey, Derek?"

"Hmm."

"I hope you hang out with me more often. I mean—Like between friends." I grin, in a sudden burst of confidence.

.

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* * *

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**Na na na na na na na na TIME CHANGE!**

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My eyes, oh God, my eyes are so heavy. I just want to crawl into an empty classroom and fall asleep. Of course that would be a totally idiotic move on my part. Just imagine if the custodian caught me. I heard the last student caught sleeping during the school day was made to de-litter the entire school…with a stick. Yeah, I'm not going there.

Second period turned out to be as uneventful as I thought it would be. The teacher droned out for the twenty minutes about matrices and other algebraic thingamabobs. Most teachers on half-days watch movies or ramble off about the good old days. I guess math teachers are the exception, and that doesn't really go well with my current state of mind. I'm brain dead. I'm a vegetable. I'm a super sleepy vegetable.

"Chloe!" Kari pops up next to me, holding energy in a cup. Steam flows up slowly from the cup of coffee in her hand. She hands it over. "I swear. I'm knocking you out as soon as I get home. I am going to grab a pan and bang you upside the head with it," she makes a batting gesture.

"Before I die, can you kiss me? I don't want to die a lip-virgin." I sip coffee, watching Kari laugh.

"Sure," she walks up to our History class, but the door is locked. There's a sign on the door that reads:

_Get to the nurse's office. Also, for homework, a two page essay on Marie Antoinette's decapitation._

"Isn't she lovely?"

"I know" Karson replies.

We head off to the nurses office only to find that the entire school has lined up as well. There's a booth at the front of the line, and people I've never seen before are passing out cups. I'm pretty sure they're full of Zesty Soda.

"Hey! Over here," Simon's hand catches our attention. Derek is standing next to him, looking a bit uncomfortable. I hope my comment earlier didn't weird him out. I can tell he isn't the friendly comment type of guy.

"Sup guys. Have you gotten a taste of the new Zesty Soda?" Kari asks, and Simon shakes his head.

"It must be pretty good if all these people are lined up," he observes, and we all do too. They're taking kids ten at a time inside the nurse's office, so the line is moving relatively fast. The line is also_ growing _relatively fast, people arriving from other classes and replacing the ten students that have been shoved inside.

"Hey, did you hear about Mr. Franco?" I inform Kari about his sacking.

"Yeah," she leaned against the wall, Simon allowing her to scoot up next to him. "I heard he was stealing chemicals from the lab in 8-C. It's restricted to students who aren't in AP biology."

"Did your teacher say why?" Derek inquires. (I think he's beginning to get used to us, actually.)Kari shakes her head but informs us that Mr. Franco was taking syringes too. Simon shrugs, putting his hands in his pockets, "Seems like he was more than just a geometry teacher huh?"

"I don't get it. He just didn't seem like the mad meth scientist type." Kari's biting her bottom lip. It's her thinking face. I don't really understand either. Mr. Franco was rumored to be the nicest man on the planet, and kind of a push-over. I was in his class freshman year. The guy didn't have a bad bone in his body. Besides, Kari would have sense his bad-ness from a mile away.

"He did shave his head and get a tattoo once." I say.

"Seriously?" Simon laughs.

"It was a dare that one of the other teachers had him do, because our class won the geometry championship." Kari brags. I was in the losing class, Mr. Franco's class to be exact.

"We're up next." Derek moves up the line. Some people offer us Zesty Soda, but we all deny it.

Inside the clinic, the nurses are testing people's reflexes, and a couple of kids are being weighted or measured. A doctor comes forth, his face long and rat-like. He introduces himself as Dr. Davidoff, and he immediately strikes me as a sly and sketchy type of character, trying too hard to pull off the grandfather angle.

"I see all of you are in good shape. But some of us need to stop watching cartoons all through the night." He crouches, bending to my size. "Are you a freshman?"

_Here we go_. I smile forcibly and shake my head. "I'm a sophomore. I'm almost sixteen."

"Oh," he puts his hands together, ignoring me. "Mrs. Talbot will take the girls. Boys come with me."

"Here I was, thinking highlights made me look older." I whisper, Kari snickers, having heard me.

Mrs. Talbot is a nurse I've never seen before. She, along with a couple of the other nurses, are new to the area and recently hired. At least, that's what she tells us. The plump woman asks us to sit down and answer a couple of questions in the questionnaire on the table. We each grab one and promptly answer the questions.

_Do you have any allergies?—_Well. I'm sort of allergic to cats, but only when they drag in dust.

_Do you have a medical issue? Check one of the following—_I didn't check any of them. Speech impediment doesn't seem like a medical issue to them.

_Do you have a speech impediment?—_There we go.

_Are you on medication?—_Nope.

_Do you wear glasses?—_Nope.

_Are you sexually active?—_Nope. Go virgins!

_Are you pregnant?—_I sure hope not.

_Are you abnormally tired all the time?—_Now I should answer yes, but the thing is; I haven't slept for a good reason. I usually don't have time to sleep. Or I'm super stressed.

_Do you have a history of medical examination?—_I do…but I don't think experimentation is what they mean.

_Do you feel as though you hit puberty to soon or not soon enough?—_Aaawkkwaaard, but yes. I got my period at almost as soon as I raised my first corpse. Fifteen years of age, my hamster, Marley.

_Do you see a psychiatrist?—_Not since my stutter faded.

_Do you have a criminal record? _—Um…what?

"Do you see these questions?" Kari prods my page, "they're insane. Do you feel suicidal? Do you hallucinate? _Do you feel as though you have a sixth sense?_ It's like they're trying to nab the crazies or something."

"I told you, soon enough they'll be pulling out the lasers and shooting our heads," I take our questionnaires and put them in the _finished_ pile. Mrs. Talbot gestures for us to come inside her office.

"Will one of you sit down while the other one goes to get checked?"The nurse suggests, and Kari nods. My best friend's eyebrows are pulled together. She's just as confused as I am. I guess this is not your typical physical.

The door shuts close.

"Okie dokie, Chloe. I see here that you answered no to most of the questions, but you look rather tired my dear. Have you been sleeping at all?" She puts down a clipboard, which contains my questionnaire. She must have gotten it while we were heading inside.

"Oh. No, I've been staying up late. Teenage stuff." I laugh. Mrs. Talbot takes some librarian looking glasses off her chest and puts them on. She's giving me a quizzical look.

"Darling," she smiles, "You answered you weren't sexually active."

Um...what.

"NO! I didn't mean it like that! I'm fifteen. Oh God. I've just been having trouble sleeping." My blush is covering most of my face and neck.

She's laughing, and I retreat back into my seat. "I see," she nods, "Why haven't you been able to sleep then?"

I'm about to answer when I realize…I can't. I don't _know_. I don't know why I can't sleep. I do know that I've been occupied, but not so much that I can't land on my bed. Yesterday, for instance, I came home after expelling that bird's soul, but when I landed on my bed...not a peep of sleep. Something tells me though, that I shouldn't tell Mrs. Talbot that. It's like telling your sister that you despise her boyfriend for no definite reason. She'll begin to suspect that you're either jealous or hiding something.

"I watch a lot of horror movies. Nightmares." I lie, proud for not flushing or stuttering.

"Ah, well let's abandon the movies for a night, eh?" Abandon movies? _Never_.

"Probably," I say. After that she proceeds to ask me a couple a questions about my health, and then I'm free.

"Call in your friend will you?" Mrs. Talbot gets up from her desk, holding the clipboard. I get out of there as soon as I can. The entire sitch was giving me a bad vibe.

While Kari goes to Mrs. Talbot's interrogation room (as I have now dubbed it) I get my physical done. First thing the doctor points out is how young I look. I have _no_ idea why. It couldn't _possibly_ be my lack of breasts, hips, and girlish apparel. Clearly, these people are blind. _Sigh._

When they're done probing me, I head outside. Most of the student's are still hanging around the Zesty Soda stand. I do too, and soon enough I see a familiar face. Derek has his hands in his pockets, and he looks irate. I know I should probably not approach him, but the guy has no one else to hang with.

"Derek!" I call and bounce up beside him. He glares down at me, and I raise my hands, "I promise I didn't do anything." He loosens up a tad after I say this, but then he's does that staring thing he always does.

"Did they ask you anything weird?" He asks, scratching the back of his bicep.

"Yeah, for example, _was I sexually active?_ Do I look sexually active to you?" I gesture to my entire body, and by God, I swear he smirks.

He continues,"I mean more like strange things. If you have any abnormal abilities or whatever." I can tell he was trying to pass this of as a nonchalant suggestion, but I didn't receive it that way.

"Erg. No. The doctor did ask about my exhaustion." I rub my face. Derek stares at my hand, and then at my face, and finally at my chest, or necklace to be more correct. "What is it?" I wonder.

"Why are you so tired, Chloe? It's like something's sucking your energy." There's that look again.

I shrug. "Just staying up all night. I hardly have time to sleep."

"How about the mental exhaustion, sometimes you don't know what the hell you're saying."

"Hey! I-I don't know. God, sorry if my yawning irritates you so much." I cross my arms, but I can't leave his side. It's like I know what he's getting at and I don't want to leave him until he does. He doesn't let up either.

"Where'd you get your necklace? It looks old, ancient, really." He's reaching towards it, but I back up.

"It was my mother's. She gave it to me before she died." Whoa there Chloe. This…tid bit of information is not something I blast onto someone like I just did.

He lowers his hand, and he scratches at his bicep again. "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked anyway." He's not giving me The Look anymore (which kinda borders on scowling, but also suspicion), but he_ is_ still looking at me. He's nervous, and he's shifting back and forth. I almost want to tell him to spill whatever it is out, but it turns out I don't need to.

"Can I meet you tonight? It's Friday, do you have any plans?" He scratches at the nape of his neck.

I blink.

Oh my God—is Derek asking me out? I don't know what to say, but the idea doesn't really throw me off. By the time I'm done blushing, I'm trying so hard not to smile. Don't blame me! I've NEVER gone on a date. I've never even kissed a guy in my life. (Not even family wise.)_ And here_ _I thought Simon was the one that liked me._

I take a strand of my hair and tuck it behind my ear. "I'd love to go out." I say coyly.

"What? Oh wait, what?! I'm not asking—", he stumbles over his words and my eyes grow wide. He isn't asking me out. _He isn't asking me out!_

"Oh jeez, forget it." I look at the floor, because suddenly the black and white tiles are like freaking Picasso's work.

"I, no—Why? Did you think I was asking you out?" _Well duh. _I want to say, but instead shut my lips tight, only opening them to tell him to continue.

"I…uh…well. I just want to talk to you about some things. I wasn't like…" he doesn't complete his sentence, letting it fade. I put up my hands up.

"S'cool. Where do you want to meet?" I don't meet his eyes, but really, if you were in my place, would you?

"I was thinking you could just open your window."

Oh yeah, "Okay. What time?"

"Anytime's fine. You could pick?" Derek also likes the floor design apparently, because he sure as heck isn't looking at me.

"Eight? After dinner." I rock on my feet.

"Cool."

"Great."

"Yo!" Simon's on our left. He's holding a cup of Zesty Soda, which, when he reaches us, he offers to me. Zesty Soda really out did themselves. I haven't tasted the old Zesty Soda, but this current drink tastes kind of like fizzy heaven. I offer Simon some, but he declines, asking about Kari's whereabouts instead. I tell him I don't know and then thank him.

"Thanks, Simon." I sip the drink, not looking at Derek. The situation was something out of a horrible chick flick, where the girl expects the guy of her dreams to ask her out, but instead he rejects her. Not that Derek's the love of my life or anything, but I'm sort of shocked to say that I'm not exactly opposed to the idea of dating him.

"I am totally pissed!" Kari suddenly pops up, relieving my tension. "Mrs. Talbot just _assumes_ I get jiggy with the guys. Straight up dudes, do I look like a tramp?"

"No"

"Heck no!"

"You have a nice rack." I say, and Kari punches my shoulder.

"What's up with you guys?" She folds her arms together. It's times like these I wish Kari didn't have her amazing sixth sense. The Benandanti are supposed to be some age old witch hunting group of supernaturals. They know when shitake mushrooms hit the fan, and when a witch is around. Right now all Kari hunts is sales, and occasionally her bean burritos that go missing when I'm around.

"Nothing's up." I hand her my drink and she sips it. "It's good." She says, but doesn't hand it back. She sips the last of it and throws the cup in the trash. I stare at her incredulously.

"What?"

"That was my drink. Simon was gentlemanly enough to get it"

"Sowy..."

"You owe me a soda."

"Yeah, well. You owe me tons from kindergarten up to the seventh grade."

"Touché."

When the bell rings, the half school day is over, and Kari and I head to our lockers. I wonder briefly what Derek wants to talk about, but not for too long, because hiding my blush is getting incredibly difficult.

_I still can't believe he didn't ask me out._

I'm so embarrassed.

_._

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**A/N Again. Read and Review, and check out She's the Boyfriend on my profile, rated PG-13, bwaah lol SHAMELESS ADVERTISING. But seriously, it's mostly comedy, and maybe some of you will want to follow Sam's story.**


	6. Midnight Chats

**A/N This is so completely unedited. But all of these chapters are most of the time. I'm not planning on editing this until the whole story is done. For the most part, feel free to spot the mistakes. Also, I'm going to have to focus on school a lot more now, for obvious reasons, so follow to check for updates. WOO!**

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Chapter 6

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In retrospect, Derek and I have only known each other for three days. I can't even expect him to have any _sort of_ feelings for me, especially since the guy has only expressed derision and slight annoyance towards me. I mean what kind of relationship did I expect? The masochistic kind? Oh jeez, why did I jump to that conclusion, why?!

_Kari's had boys ask her out after two minutes._

Yes, but Kari's a beautiful representation of the upsides of puberty.

_Simon likes you…_

That is only a speculation, and besides, he's too cute.

_Too cute?! Do you hear yourself?!_

I know! I need sleep.

But first I have to eat dinner and talk to Derek.

Derek.

I think it's safe to say that the two of us are now acquaintances. I'm edging him towards friends slowly and at his own pace, but I really don't understand my determination at this point. The guy intrigues me, but not in the 'mysterious and dark stranger' kind of way, more of the guy who doesn't act like the people around him. The guy that's bound to stand out. And boy does he stand out.

And he suspects.

He suspects something of me, and while someone else's internal alarm would be screeching right at this moment, mine is lying around drinking yoo-hoo. There's a part of me that _wants_ Derek to suspect me, and not because I'm some idiot who wants attention, but because I'm some idiot who hasn't met a single supernatural since arriving at this place. I want someone to know how different I am, to suspect how different I am. I've never been able to relate myself to anyone other than my family and Liz.

Liz, where the heck is she? She hasn't popped up since that day I saw Derek in the nude. _You really have to stop mentioning that._ Yeah, well, it's true. Liz hasn't showed up since that day, and I'm beginning to worry. Ever since I arrived in Albany, she's been there for me as my informant on the town, and I count on her to warn me when one of my many episodes has unearthed the dead. Could it be possible that's she's passed on and didn't say goodbye?

"Chloe?" Kari pops into the kitchen, where I'm peeling the chicken instead of cutting it up. I shake my head and grab a carrot instead.

"What's up?" I say, and she grabs a cloth that hangs from the sink handle. Wiping her hands, she examines my face, " You look strained. I'm not kidding about sleep, Chloe. You look dead, and I think this is the reason your accidental raising is occurring more than usual." She pointed to my necklace, "I thought that was supposed to help you?"

"It is!" I snap, and then sigh. "Sorry…it is. You know what happened the last time I took off my necklace." She nodded, grimacing. It was like lollapalooza for ghosts, the corpses being the special guest stars.

"I'm going to ask Aunt Lauren for sleeping pills. Try not to kill the poor carrot." She leaves, and I mutter under my breath, "Yes, cause _killing_ is my problem."

* * *

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After dinner, Aunt Lauren sends me up with a sleeping pill and a bottle of water, and orders me to go to sleep. I talk briefly to Kari about my secret meeting with Derek, but she only whistles and pokes fun at me for it. She agrees to keep watch for me as long as I don't take too long and sleep right after.

Now I'm in my room, and I approach my window, setting my pill and water aside. I pull the curtains open and immediately spot Derek sitting right on the ledge, simply waiting and watching me. For seconds, I think about how cliché this would be in a mainstream movie. The girl and guy talking on the window ledge, only to end up in one or the other's rooms to make-out or cuddle. I blush. _Yeah, soooo cliché Chloe, the girl who can raise the dead is at the window with her antisocial neighbor who might suspect her of being a supernatural. Yeah, that's totally seen every day. I'm surprised the Cliché police haven't arrested you yet._

Okay, sleep is now mandatory for me.

"Hey," I say, waving and settling on the window ledge. He nods in acknowledgement and scratches at the peeking flesh from the holes in his ripped, baggy jeans. I continue, "So what's up?"

"It was dead," he blurts, and I blink, confused. "That bird, the one that crashed your dinner, it was dead."

_Ding ding ding, ten points to Derek Souza. Now what will Chloe say next…_My inner voice mocks. I try not to gape. He had seen the bird was dead. He'd seen it.

My first instinct is to deny, "…they…were maggots. The bird could've gotten them from anywhere. Besides, dead-birds don't fly!" I stare at our dangling feet, my face hot and my body warm. Derek remains quite for five whole seconds. The most agonizing five-seconds of my life.

"You had the wrong reaction."

"What!?"

"You're reaction," he continues. "You should have called me crazy, and then offered up an exclamation. And you know what else, I don't think that dead hamster on your porch was a prank."

_Oh God, is this how the people on Criminal Minds feel when they're being chewed down by the Po Po. _I think it is. My heart feels like it's going to jump out of my mouth. But Derek is still as he watches me suffocate under his stare.

"W-w-we don't know who puts them there." I offer lamely.

"I-I-I think you do." I glare at him, how dare he make fun of my stutter. His face isn't exactly mocking mine, and I can tell he's only trying to get my attention, but it still peeves me.

I cross my arms and fix my glare at his feet. "You _are_ crazy. I don't know what the hell you're talking about. The bird was alive, people pull pranks on us all the time, and you need to stop staring at me like that!"

He scoffs, "like what, and sit down Chloe. I'm not letting you off."

"Well I don't want to sit here with you anymore. And you know what, I liked you better when you glared at me for no reason." I get up once again, but he puts on hand on my knee.

"I heard you in the kitchen," he says softly, and I stop.

He couldn't have. He was in the dining area. He couldn't have eavesdropped without me noticing. I shake my head, "Liar."

"Again, wrong reaction, you should've denied saying anything in the kitchen, or at least asked me what I heard," he knew he had me. I can't believe I was willing to let my guard down on this guy.

"What _did_ you hear?!" I ask then. He let's go of my knee and scratches his hand.

"Enough to understand that you knew the bird was dead, and tried to get Kari to help you dispose of it."

"What are you getting at Derek, are you implying that we're _actually_ witches and that we're _actually_ what these people think of us?!" I was defensive, but at the very pit of my stomach was a flame of excitement. Was he truly getting this?

"You, no, and I'm not sure about your cousin or aunt. But you, I know what you are."

I smirked, "you're not going to accuse me of being a vampire are you?"

"Nah, but _I am _going to accuse you of being a necromancer."

Silence.

Dead silence.

And then…

"What are you?" I ask.

"I'm normal, but you on the other hand, are not," he has this irritatingly satisfied look on his face.

I gape, "What! Look, clearly you sound like the insane one between the two of us, but I'll humor you." I cross my arms and ask, "Are you a sorcerer?" But I can't believe this. I really can't believe I'm having this conversation at all actually.

"Alright then, you don't believe I'm normal. I get that. So I'll humor you too. No, I'm not a sorcerer."

"Are _you_ a vampire?" The least likely considering his natural lively look.

He laughs, and I watch his lips open to reveal completely un-fanged teeth. Also, a pretty smile. "No, I'm not a vampire."

"Demon."

"No."

"Half- Demon"

"Nope. No part of me is demonic."

"I'm not too sure about that." I mutter, and he laughs. _Two times, you're on a roll Chloe. _"Are you a Necro like me?"

He shakes his head, "Nah, I would have known what you were sooner."

"Okay, fine, but now I'm beginning to wonder if you're just denying things."

He shrugs, "I could be. I told you, I'm normal."

I rolled my eyes, "BS. Your entire family is probably supernatural. Tell me or I'll have Liz mess with you while you're sleeping." I was right at the very edge of my patience. I just trusted this guy with one of my family's biggest secrets. He could rat me out for God's sakes, and then we'd have to leave Albany.

Derek ignores my threat and mocks me. "Who's Liz, Chloe? Is she a ghost?" he has his hand under his chin, and I knock it over. He glares, because apparently Mr. Big Bad Wolf doesn't like being touched.

Big Bad Wolf…_Way to make a connection Chloe._

"Werewolf," I gasp, a huge under reaction on my part. I should probably run inside and barricade the windows and doors, but that's too much of an overreaction concerning Derek.

Aunt Lauren only told me the minimal on werewolves. The ones she's dealt with were always half insane, and almost always dangerous. _"It's what the genes do to their heads, body registers wolf, but mind registers human."_ Derek didn't look like he was struggling with either. He was, however, trying to remain still under my scrutiny.

He licks his lips, "I'm not going to pretend like what you heard here today was all a figment of your imagination, got it?" The lines of apprehension deepen on his face, he senses the stiffness in my body and the fact that my heart rate has doubled. He doesn't reach out to me like anyone else would, to assure me of my safety. He only glares.

I nod, "I…won't either." It was true then.

"And I don't care if you tell people. I now that they won't believe you," he's angry with me. I think he knows I'm afraid of him and that upsets him. It would upset me too, now that I think about it.

"I promise I won't tell people, but only if you promise not to spread rumors that I can raise the dead, because they _will_ believe you."

He asserts, "I won't, and just so you know, Simon's a sorcerer, and Tori's a witch. You can fill in the blanks with my dad."

"AH! No wonder Kari was all weird around Tori!" I clearly remember the day they met. All glares and no greetings.

"What is she?" He asks, and I notice the tense air between us has once again disappeared.

"Oh, Kari's some age old witch hunter, have you heard of the Benandanti?"

He nods, "My friend, Daniel, back in Oregon is one."

"What?! You know more?"

He laughs, "don't be so shocked, we're not extinct."

I blush, and then Derek and I proceed to have the _longest_ conversation about Supernaturals in the world. He's more of a listener, but when you get him started on the science portion of our lives, he can go on forever. On more than one occasion I have to ask him to slow down. During the entire talk, I don't think about my sleeping pill, and I don't feel the fatigue from the day scratch at me. It's only when we hear the grandfather clock at the bottom of the stairs strike two am that we stop talking.

He enters his room, keeping the window open, "You need to go to bed. I'm actually sorry to have kept you awake for so long."

"It's cool. It was nice talking to you." I tentatively edge into my room. It's cold outside and the wind causes my curtains to bellow, and that, in turn, causes me to look at Derek.

"Chloe?" He asks.

"Yeah?"

"Simon wanted to ask you something on the bus this morning, before you fell asleep."

"Oh," my eyebrows knit together.

"I just want you to say yes to him. You're not annoying, pushy, fan-girly, and I wouldn't mind seeing my brother with you." He laughs, and I know he isn't kidding. He was really telling me his brother wants to date me.

"Oh," I say again. _Somehow this disappoints you, Chloe._ Crazy, inner me speaks. I tell it to shut it, and it responds with:_ Me thinks you doth protest too much._

I roll my eyes.

"Derek, in all honesty. I've only known you're brother for three days, and I _just_ discovered he's a sorcerer. It looks like we all have a bit to figure out about each other."

He leans out his window, "yeah, more than you think. But the best way to get to know us would be to…I don't know…hang with us."

Us, meaning both him and his brother, "Yes, I—I mean Kari and I would love that. We know this quiet gelato place right next to the old Zesty factory."

"Cool, we'll meet ya there Sunday around two."

"Great"

We sit there, looking at each other.

"Bye, Chloe."

"Bye"

I go back inside, shutting the window and closing the curtains. I mutter a faint, "Goodnight, Derek."

Seconds later, I hear a muffled, but very much there, "Goodnight, Chloe!"

I laugh.

* * *

**A/N So in the next episode: Gelato, thugs, and Simon Bae. Live long and prosper, my friends! *Spock salute***


	7. Marta's Gelato

**A/N What?! You thought I forgot about this story. How about...**

**Never!**

**I'm keeping up with this story in particular, because I really appreciate all the comments I got from you guys. They give me so many feels...oh...so many feels...I'm overloading.**

***Dies***

**ps: Unedited (will become a grammar police as soon as I can)**

* * *

.

Chapter 7

.

"You know that if Lauren ever finds out, then you'll be grounded for, like, eternity right?" Kari points out, walking with me towards _Marta's Gelato Shoppe_.

I flick a piece of leaf off my shoulder and nod, "And that's exactly why she'll never find out."

Kari rolls her eyes, but assents. Yesterday, Saturday, I told her what Derek had willingly confided to me. She hadn't freaked out per say, but she did have that 'mind blown' facial expression. She knew that something weird was going on with Derek and his family, and now that she knows what, she's more ecstatic than ever. I'd congratulated her on her awesome ESP abilities.

At the moment, the two of us are passing the Zesty factory and almost instantaneously I notice the lack of noise, staff, or smoke. The giant warehouse shaped building still has the cobwebs I can see every time we pass it. Its yellow windows are almost all cracked and in some cases broken. The greenish-brown paint is chipped, the gates are rusting, and the parking lot is empty. It looks as if the Zesty Company never opened.

"_Pssst! _Chloe, what are you doing?" Kari whispers behind me. I have my forehead pressed to the nearest window, my hands cupped at either side of my face.

I squint and try to block out my reflection, and when I peer inside the factory I glimpse a slight movement, a shadow really, moving from right to left. I gesture at Kari, "Tell me, do you see anything?"

She stays put for some seconds, only staring at the building, her dark eyebrows furrowed in suspicion, but then she comes forth, cupping the sides of her face and pressing herself to the glass. "No, I don't see anything, or anyone. Weird" She taps the glass, and I swat her.

I glare at her, disbelievingly. "You want to get us caught?" I whisper, looking around.

"There's no one in there, Chloe. Not a soul."

I shake my head, "Then what's with all this Zesty propaganda going on, if the factory isn't even running, then who's making the soda?"

We stare at each other. "Why don't you ask Liz to investigate?"

I shrug, "I haven't seen her. I'm starting to think I won't."

Kari's expression turns grim, "I think we should leave." I agree, and start walking completely past the factory, best friend following my lead.

_Just move on, Chloe…_

I am.

Anyhow, _Marta's Gelato Shoppe_ is a quaint little Italian ice-cream store not even a full block away from the factory. That small fact is why Marta doesn't have a lot of business, even today. Not a lot a people want to enjoy their gelato while listening to the industrial symphony right next door. Today Marta's gelato has been sadly forgotten.

The bell on top of the entrance dings as I come in. The woman standing next to the ice-cream counter is Marta, a plump Italian woman of fifty-five, with beautiful eighties styled black hair and a loving, caring, and genuine demeanor that makes you want to call her _Nonna, _or grandmother in Italian.

Marta greets us, gesturing for us to sit at the tiny two person table. The shop itself has a nostalgic feel to it. With light rosemary-green walls, a sea-blue counter with little Italian knick knacks on top, and a wide ceiling to floor entrance that is always kept open during the summer, the place makes me feel like I was living in happy scene from _La Vita è Bella _(which was an awesome film by the by)

"_Benvenute!_ Chloe, Karson, _carine! _To what do I owe this pleasure?" Marta comes to our side and kisses each of our cheeks in the classic italian greeting.

Kari bumps my side, "Chloe's got a date."

"_Un ragazzo?_ So soon? Well, I suppose I am least to speak. Boy's fancied at your age too—"I hold up my hands.

"Marta, she's kidding. Simon isn't my boyfriend." I roll my eyes, and then reach behind the blue counter for a chocolate.

Kari reaches out for one too, but I bounce back and snatch them away. She scoffs, "I didn't mean Simon."

Marta looks between both of us and gives a hearty laugh, "...are these young men coming to my dirty old store?"

"Nooo," I grin, "They're coming to Marta's wonderful gelato shop. It's the best place here."

Marta smiles gratefully, and she wraps a hand around my shoulders. "You are a pearl Chloe, _una perla_." She spies something behing me that makes her whistle, "Is it the chinese one, or the gentle giant?"

Kari bursts out laughing. Simon and Derek open the door and proceed to stand at the entrance awkwardly, looking at the small shop with newfound interest. I wave at the both of them and they wave back, both stepping forward at the same time. They give each other strange looks, and Kari imperceptibly pinches my bum.

I jump, "Hey guys!" and glare at Kari, who looks at the ceiling innocently.

Simon, the more outgoing of the two, gestures at the place and compliments, "Nice shop, why haven't I seen it before."

Marta, who has gone behind the counter, answers for us, "Child, nobody sees it because of that big monster of a factory. Blocks the view of my shop, and stinks up the place. Well, it used to. Now it's mostly dead. Good ridance."

Derek inquires about the one thing I've been thinking, "If the factory isn't up and running then why did blow smoke on Tuesday. And why has Zesty Soda suddenly reappeared at our school?"

Marta blinks, and moved her head left to right, "I was not open last week, I would not have known. I have, however, seen people come and go from the factory. I thought maybe it was the city planners finally coming to knock _quello scarto."_

I peer outside the door. The factory looks pretty quiet right now.

Kari, realizing that we didn't come here to discuss an old soda processing company, pulls me back in and says to the guys, "Ya'll want gelato. It's Marta's own recipe, fresh fruit, _all natural."_

Simon gives Derek a meaningful stare, "See Derek, _healthy._ Sosure, I'll have some."

"You don't have to if you don't want to…" I try to amend, but Marta's handing out the cups already, and Kari's already handing her the money.

I stare up at Derek, "You want anything."

He declines, "No, I actually want to talk. To all of you."

"Ominous much?" I joke, he cracks a half-smile, nothing really prominent, but that's good enough for me.

We all sit around the tiny table, which is really funny considering Derek is huge, and he pretty much resembles a grown man at one of those pretend tea parties I used to have. Marta observes us with obvious curiosity until I realize that whatever Derek wants to talk about is probably on a need to know basis, so I ask her if she has any strawberries.

"_Oddio!_ _Ho dimenticato le fragole!"_ She spouts, and then runs out of the shop. Marta always forgets to load the strawberries into her truck. It should take her at least half an hour to drive back home in her vehicle and get the strawberries from the unloading van and into her car.

I nod for Derek to start.

"So obviously, we've all made some recent discoveries," he starts. "I think it's safe to assume that we should get to know each other, just in case we think any of us might pose a danger."

Kari raises a rather amused eyebrow, "You think we pose a danger?"

"That's exactly what I asked him" Simon smirks. I give Derek a questioning glance. He continues.

"I'm just saying so that we can get to trusting each other."

"Yep, Derek has trust issues."

"You don't say," I smile, and Derek looks at the ceiling, clearly frustrated with us.

Simon raises a hand, "Question bro. If you think they're such a danger ,then why aren't we avoiding these lovely ladies?"

Kari _pfffted_, "Pffft, he called us 'ladies'"

I didn't comment. Derek was waiting for us to quit the immaturity act. He glances at me, and I speak, "We aren't going to hurt you guys in any way, even if you revealed our secrets. We just couldn't."

Kari lifts up her right hand, "We swear on Ryan Gosling's honor."

Derek gases between me and Kari and back again, then sighs, "Sure…ok. I just wanted to let you guys in on something I think is going on at your school."

Simon throws his head back, "C'mon bro, not this again. There is no conspiracy going on. Can we just change the subject."

Derek looks like he's about to whack something, and I speak up again, "Maybe we should, you seem a bit stressed about this topic. We could leave it for another time."

"But—"

Simon doesn't let his brother utter another syllable, he stuffs Derek's mouth with gelato and I giggle. It appears his brother can get away with anything. Speaking about Simon, he's begun looking at me. I briefly recall the comment Derek made about Simon wanting to ask me out. I gulp.

"Hey, Chloe, do you have a boyfriend?"

I look at Kari, opening my mouth but not really saying anything. Kari presses her lips together, evidently not going to help me out. I end up shaking my head, looking at his perfect forehead.

"Really, cool. See I was wondering if you…"

Oh god.

I think I'm going to puke.

Out of nowhere though, Kari puts her hand up, "Please refrain from asking out my best friend until you've been properly evaluated by me."

I love you Kari, god I love you.

Simon stops mid sentence, and grins. "Okay," he places his hands behind his head and leans back smugly. "I'll let you know my nerdy demeanor and dashing good looks has aced many of best-friend tests."

Derek and I look at each other, having lost track of the conversation. It was best to stay out of it, so we remained seated quietly.

Kari has her arms crossed, while Simon puts on his best 'challenge accepted' face. She starts with, "Where would you take her on a first date?"

He responds with, "Movies, a comedy, not romance, possibly recently premiered."

She attacks with, "What if she wants food?"

He blocks with, "Somewhere quiet, like say, a quaint little gelato shop."

Kari smirks, but kicks it up a knotch, "Alright, when would you consider the proper time to kiss her?"

"Whenever she wants me to kiss her, although I must be truthful because I am a first date peck kind of guy."

"You're saying you would violate her personal space?"

Simon's face goes blank for a second, but then he smiles, "I think I'll let her violate mine."

I can tell Kari's only started, so I go behind the counter to get some chocolates. I hand one to Derek, who thanks me and goes back to watching Karson spout question after question and Simon answer each and everyone. I have to admit that I don't really like what's going on. Technically, all Kari is doing is prolonging until she inevitably gives in. There's nothing she could really say to prevent Simon from asking me out. I know this. She knows this. Simon knows this. _Derek_ probably knows this.

Finally, Kari asks, "What do you think of her best friend?"

I chew and look between she and Simon.

Derek even seems to be engrossed in the situation, munching on the Tootsie Roll I gave him.

Simon thinks momentarily and then places his gelato to the side, "I would have to say that she's a real cool girl and I would not mind spending my time with her too."

_He's good, real good._

I know. And I observe Kari's expression, waiting for her to deliver the unavoidable verdict.

"No," She smiles.

Simon's eyebrows go all the way up, and he opens his mouth, "Wow, and why not?"

She smiles at me, and I shrug. She looks down at her gelato and stirs the remaining contents in the cup.

"Because now I want you for myself." She takes a bite out of her gelato, looking innocently at anywhere but at us.

Fifty seconds of awkward silence later...

I address the three of them, "I'm going out the back to check if Marta's back. Why don't you guys break the ice while I'm gone."

.

.

* * *

.

While I'm outside, avoiding the awkwardness that is Kari Jackson and Simon Bae. I take out my cell phone. I'm about to make a phone call when someone bumps into me, and the next thing I know my phone is gone, and I watch helplessly as a man runs off with it.

"What the hell! Come back you son of a b—"

Suddenly I get bumped again, but this time from behind me. My hair goes flying as Derek whips past me. Obviously after the phone jacking lunatic, Derek starts after him, and I'm left wondering what the hell I am supposed to do. I can't call the freaking cops now can I?

"What's going on?" Kari pops up behind me.

"Some jackbutt stole my phone, Derek's after him."

"Derek's after who now?!" Simon inquires.

Kari points to a van coming up the corner, "Isn't that Marta's van, why is it stopping."

"That's not Marta in the front seat…" I whisper.

"What?" Kari turns to me.

"BRO!" We hear Simon yell and start running, and I turn my head to view Derek's kidnapping in progress.

"Derek!"

The next thing that happens is possibly the most outrageous thing I've ever seen in my life.

"He got out!" Kari screeches, we're both chasing down a vehicle on flats, which is extremely uncomfortable might I add. I stop at the corner of Brooksville and Montain, watching Derek burst through the window, Simon running through the empty street to catch him. It's like the van spits him out, and then drives off.

Kari and I bolt towards our friends.

"Is he hurt badly?" Kari says, kneeling next to Derek and Simon, who has slung his brother's hand over his shoulder.

"I'm fine, are you okay Chloe?" Derek responds, his voice horse, and I stare at him disbelievingly. "I'm only asking because you look like you're about to –"

Suddenly, everything goes black.

.

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**A/N It seems like exhaustion finally caught up to Chloe. I honestly don't know what to think about this chapter. Like I said awhile back, I'm in school, and that doesn't give me a lot of time to write. I promise I'll try to update weekly from now on. Arrivederci!**


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